DSH Cuts on the Table in House – Contact Democrats in Delegation Now - July 9, 2009

This is an urgent action alert. NAPH has learned from senior congressional staff that House leaders are now considering whether to cut Medicaid and Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) funding to help pay for health care reform. NAPH supports the DSH provisions the current House discussion draft legislation, which includes no cuts to DSH and an HHS study on DSH in 2016.

Please contact all Democratic members of your delegation. Ask them to contact Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel. Ask them to say that they strongly oppose any cuts to Medicaid or Medicare DSH in the health care reform bill. Because this is a fast moving situation, it is critical that you make your contacts as soon as possible this afternoon.

Suggested Talking Points:

• To help pay for reform, some policymakers have proposed cutting funds that ensure the livelihood of safety net hospitals.
• It is shortsighted to destabilize the safety net when we know that even after reform is fully implemented, some patients will fall through the cracks and remain uninsured.
• Medicaid and Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments help offset the cost of treating the uninsured. DSH payments are essential for safety net hospitals in the future – especially to provide care for those who remain uninsured.
• But, health care for the uninsured is not the only purpose for these funds. DSH funding also supports a wide range of other uncompensated safety net costs. Without DSH funds, safety net hospitals will be challenged in the future to provide:
  • Essential services like trauma and burn care. These services are critically important to all members of the community – whether insured or uninsured.
  • Support services needed by vulnerable low -income patients including translation, social work and transportation – these services are vital to keeping individuals healthy and lowering overall health care costs.
• Congress should be prudent and not use safety net DSH funds to pay for health reform until all individuals are covered and payment shortfalls in Medicare and Medicaid are addressed.